side to the Globe playhouse, where my Lord bade me
dismount and deliver a secret message to the chief player--which
message was, "had he diligently perused and examined that he wot of,
and what said he thereof?" Which I did. Thereupon he that was called
the chief player did incontinently proceed to load mine arms and wallet
with many and divers rolls of manuscripts in my Lord's own hand, and
bade me say unto him that there was a great frost over London, but that
if he were to perform those plays and masques publickly, there would be
a greater frost there--to wit, in the Globe playhouse. This I did
deliver with the Manuscripts to my Lord, who changed countenance
mightily at the sight of them, but could make nought of the message.
At which the lad who held the horses before the playhouse--one Will
Shakespeare--split with laughter. Whereat my Lord cursed him for a
deer-stealing, coney-catching Warwickshire lout, and cuffed him
soundly. I wot there will be those who remember that this Will
Shakespeare afterwards became a player and did write plays--which were
acceptable even to the Queen's Majesty's self--and I set this down not
from vanity to shew I have held converse with such, nor to give a
seemingness and colour to my story, but to shew what ill-judged,
misinformed knaves were they who did afterwards attribute friendship
between my Lord and this Will Shakespeare, even to the saying that he
made sonnets to my Lord. Howbeit, my Lord was exceeding wroth, and I,
to beguile him, did propose that we should leave our horses and cargoes
of manuscript behind and cross on the ice afoot, which conceit pleased
him mightily. In sooth it chanced well with what followed, for hardly
were we on the river when we saw a great crowd coming from Westminster,
before a caravan of strange animals and savages in masks, capering and
capricolling, dragging after them divers sledges quaintly fashioned
like swannes, in which were ladies attired as fairies and goddesses and
such like heathen and wanton trumpery, which I, as a plain, blunt man,
would have fallen to cursing, had not my Lord himself damned me under
his breath to hold my peace, for that he had recognized my Lord of
Leicester's colours and that he made no doubt they were of the Court.
As forsooth this did presently appear; also that one of the ladies was
her Gracious Majesty's self--masked to the general eye, the better to
enjoy these miscalled festivities. I say miscalled, for, th